When Masks Are Broken
by BlackAdder42
Summary: A Hinata OneShot inspired by a friend's story. Slight blood and angst.


Author's Note: Story dedicated to AppleCoreCandyBox, and inspired by her fic 'If These Lips Could Speak' (currently renamed 'Even When He Smiles')

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, nor will I ever.

Hinata sobbed again as she lay in her bed, eyes shedding tears in a flood of grief and sorrow. How could this of happened? When did it all start? She knew that he had been feeling pain, but never thought he would be pushed so far...

Hours ago, she had been worried when she hadn't seen the object of her affections for so long, wondering if maybe he'd gone on some mission by himself and would never come back. Ino had put that thought to rest, and raised a monster in its place.

At first she was scared for him, scared and confused as to why he would do such a thing. After that came anger, as foolish as it would seem. She was angry that the one she looked up to as the unmoveable rock, her invincible inspiration, could disappoint her in such a way. However, she knew that such thoughts were selfish, and felt unworthy of being near him whenever that thought arose in her mind. She cried even more at those times, wondering...

How could this of happened? When did it all start?

She knew she should go to him, find out if its true and if he's really hurting as much as it must... but she can't. She cannot face him, not like this...

She still cannot get over the fact that Sasuke was the first to find out, that the one who treated him so badly would be the first to be let in on this secret. True, it wasn't by design, but why would Kami have let someone so emotionless and uncaring towards Naruto be the first to find out? Sometimes, Hinata could see why Neji hated Fate so much, it really did seem to have it in for you...

Her pillow was already soaking with the salty droplets leaking from her eyes, and she reached over to her bedside dresser, pulling something out of the drawer. It was a picture that she'd taken about two years ago, back when she first truly fell for him. It was after she'd finished humiliating herself in front of father, and had gone out to try and recollect herself. He was right across the street, playing in the park with Shikamaru, Chouji, and Kiba. The other parents had come to collect their sons, and Naruto had been left by himself. Though he couldn't see her, she could see plainly the loneliness written on his face, freed from the mask that he normally wore. At the time, Hinata could only pity him, thinking that there was finally someone in the world that she knew had it worse off than her. The next day, as the class went on a field trip, she was carrying around a camera to take pictures of anything she thought she'd want to remember. Naruto had skipped out early, though she hadn't noticed at the time. It was only when she heard the sounds of cursing and yelling, along with that of someone laughing, that it happened. The blonde haired genin-in-training was screeching around the corner with two of their sensei close behind, cursing at the boy. Naruto had somehow managed to slip something into the staff cafeteria, and both Chunin's voices were ear-piercingly high. Naruto was laughing his head off as he leaped about, staying just ahead of them so that they'd keep on chasing him.

Right then... That was when Hinata had truly fallen for him. His smile had been so bright, so full of excitement and childish joy, that it seemed that nothing could faze him. She couldn't believe that this had been the same boy who she'd seen so lonely the other day, in so much pain that he was numb... Her finger had accidentally hit the camera's trigger, capturing that beautiful smile for all time on a little four by eight frame. She'd taken it home and hidden it from father, knowing that he probably wouldn't approve of her keeping a picture of such a 'delinquent' boy. She'd had it framed about six months later, just a little thing so that she could preserve it even further. Now her tears splashed against the glass pane on it, even as her fingers tightened. Why did he smile that way if he was doing that to himself? Even now she couldn't picture the scars that he must have worn, the markings that undoubtedly criss-crossed his golden skin like scribbles of a drawing.

It was then that she heard a cracking sound, and opened her eyes. In her sorrow and frustration, she'd broken the frame, splinters from the wood and a shard of broken glass sticking out of her palm. Warm blood oozed from the wound, and for a moment Hinata was caught in awe of it. How it moved across her palm slowly, like the caress of a lover. She didn't even register the pain of it, just a tingling sensation that let her know that her body had already gone partially into shock to cope with it. It seemed as though it had happened to someone else, and that she was just an observer, her earlier pain and confusion wiped away completely. She chuckled humourlessly as insight settled in. 'Now I know...' she thought. 'At least now I know part of what you feel Naruto-kun...'

"Hinata-sama, are you alright? We heard something break..."

The girl froze in surprise as she realized that a passing guard outside must have spoken, and she hid the broken picture again. "N... Nothing's wrong, I j..just knocked something over. It's nothing, really," she stuttered.

After a moment, she let out a sigh of relief as the guards left the corridor, and she pulled out her treasure once more. Her blood had gotten into the cracked glass, and stained it a ruby color. Pulling out the splinters from her palm with a pair of tweezers from the bathroom, Hinata wrapped her hand in gauze while thinking. Tomorrow she'd go and see him. Tomorrow, she'd go and see his true face without shrinking away. She owed him that much at least...


End file.
